On Progress
by windedeagle
Summary: Daine and Numair are forced to go on Progress. They've lived together for 7 years, so certainly they can servive a few months together in a tent?this story will be fun & fluffy!
1. Chapter 1

_Hey! So are you ready for my next one? I sure am. Thanks to all my dedicated readers...I hope you all like this one just as much!_

On Progress

Numair came into his room and shut the door. Daine, who was lying on the bed reading, turned around to smile at him. Usually she would have been at the stables; but the later winter storms had come in the night before, and the weather outside was somewhere between snow and freezing rain.

"What's that?" Daine asked, nodding to the folded paper in his hand.

Numair took a seat beside her on the bed.

"We've been invited to join the Court when they go on Progress in a few months."

"Then just turn down the invitation."

Numair handed her the paper.

"I did. Several times. And what we got was a Royal Order to join the Court on Progress in a few months."

Daine read the paper Numair had handed to her.

"No, _you_ got the Royal Order. _I_ never said I wasn't going."

She handed the paper back to him.

"I chose to stay on His Majesty's good side."

Numair rolled his eyes and went into the wardrobe to change out of his nice clothes. Daine peered over the edge of her book and smiled. She watched his muscles flex as he took his tunic over his head, then watched him unbutton his silk shirt and take off his breeches and boots. Then he put on a plain white shirt and tan breeches. Daine hid under her book again when he came out.

Numair took it from her and set it on the floor. Then he laid down beside her and put his head on her shoulder. Daine turned so she could hold him in her arms and stroked his back.

"Long day?" she asked quietly and he nodded.

"The longest. I had a meeting this morning with the Council of Mages, then another one on the other side of the castle. And of course I couldn't simply walk through the hall. Oh, no, because if I could my day might just have been _slightly_ passable."

Numair rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

"The _only_ hallway to the north side of the castle was, of course, being re-tiled. So I had to run through freezing rain only to arrive very, very late to my meeting."

Daine played with his hand.

"How late?"

Numair sighed.

"Let's just say that when I sat down they where going over final questions."

"Oh," Daine said quietly.

"And then, to make my day even more miserable, I had that _wonderful _little chat with Johnathan and then was given a Royal Order to go on Progress. So, yes, magelet; It was a very long day."

Daine cuddled up to him and kissed his cheek.

"I could make it better, I think."

He opened one eye.

"How?"

She smiled and played with his hair.

"Well I hope your not _too_ hungry. We'll probably miss dinner."

Numair smiled back at her.

"I'm not hungry at all."

Daine walked into the large meeting room only to see it was _a lot_ smaller looking than usual. She looked around to find an empty chair, but they had all been taken. Seeing Numair on the other side of the room, she went over to him.

Numair looked up from the piece of paper he had been reading and Daine jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

"Out."

He sighed and let her have his chair, then sat on the floor and leaned against her legs.

All through the meeting about what a good Court does and doesn't do while on Progress Daine watched her lover. Numair seemed to find it funny when the person explaining the certain topic would refer to the Court as the 'group'. At first Daine wondered why he was acting so silly. She looked around the room to see if anyone was paying attention to him. She only saw one person; in a chair in the corner sat the king, who was shooting Numair a look that would kill.

Now it made sense. Numair had been mad at Jon ever since he had given him the Royal Order. So of course he was acting like an idiot; he wanted to make the king mad. Daine sighed to herself. They were worse than little boys.

She kicked Numair hard in the side. He ignored her.

Jon finally stopped paying attention to Numair. So Numair decided to get him even angrier.

When the man was done speaking (Daine didn't know who he was) he asked for questions. Numair raised his hand.

By now Daine was kicking him as hard as possible and didn't cared who noticed. The man nodded to Numair.

"Instead of calling our Court a 'group' you might as well call us a 'herd'. Most of us act like cows anyways."

Things were quiet for a few moments; then much to Daine's relief a few people chuckled. She watched Numair give the king a proud smirk, and the meeting continued.

That night Daine refused to talk to Numair. He begged and pleaded with her to forgive him, but she ignored him (much like the way he ignored her when she was kicking him)

Numair tried to persuade her while she got undressed, put on one of his old shirts, combed out her hair, and washed her face and her teeth. She had to lock him out of the wash room while she used the chamberpot, and when she came out he was standing at the door. He followed her to the bed and got on his knees when she laid down.

"Please," he whispered.

"Please what?" she asked.

"Please forgive you for acting like a three-year-old and an idiot?"

"Well if you call me a three-year-old than it's not fair to call me an idiot-I'm simply innocent."

Daine rolled on her other side.

"Good night, Numair."

He sighed.

"I'm sorry. I am being an idiot."

She turned to face him again.

"Please forgive me."

She held his chin in her hand.

"You shouldn't be telling _me_ your sorry. You should be apologizing to your king."

Numair sighed.

"Fine. I'll go apologize tomorrow. Then will you forgive me?"

Daine let his hair out of the leather tie that held it.

"Maybe. But only if you can prove you aren't a little boy."

Numair leaned forward to kiss her, but she stopped him.

"Tomorrow's our last night in this bed, in any bed, for a few months. So let's make it special."

He thought about this for a minute, then sighed and gave her a little kiss.

"Fine. Tomorrow."

The next day Daine woke Numair up when the morning bells rang. She made him get dressed and go see the king before he got too busy. When she was sure he was gone she got back under the blankets and went to sleep.

Daine finally woke up before noon. She got dressed and pinned her hair back, then went about packing.

Numair came up well after lunch.

"Where have you been?" Daine asked as she put her final pack with her other two.

Numair shrugged.

"Talking."

She sat down in one of the armchairs.

"To who?"

"Jonathan. Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"

Daine smiled.

"So you two aren't fighting anymore?"

"No," he said flatly and went to start packing for himself.

Daine came up behind him in the wardrobe and put her arms around his waist.

"Have you ate yet?"

He shook his head.

"Come with me, then. You can pack later."

Numair looked back at her and Daine put out her lower lip. He sighed and followed her to lunch.

By the time they were done eating it was dusk. Daine helped Numair pack his things. When they put his packs in a pile she noticed that he had two more bags than her.

"You're going to get in trouble," she warned, and Numair shrugged.

"And what will they do?"

"Give you a Royal Order, probably."

Numair looked Daine over for a minute. Then he picked her up and put her over one shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Daine yelled.

"Punishing you."

"For what?"

He put her down on the bed and put her legs on his shoulders, then slowly started to unbutton her shirt, kissing the skin that each button uncovered.

"For being bad," he whispered, and Daine asked no more questions.


	2. Chapter 2

_So here's chapter 2!..._

_P.S. Who can spot the foreshadowing in the next few paragraphs? _

Daine woke up when the earliest bells rang the next morning. She shook Numair hard and then shoved his shoulder when he turned over onto his stomach. Deciding to fool with him later, see went to get dressed.

Daine put her last things in her packs. She stood up and looked at Numair, who was still asleep in bed.

Then she went to the other side of the room and ran towards the bed.

_Numair was in a bedroom, Daine was lying on the bed. Numair smiled and put his hand on her very large belly. He felt the thump, thump, thump, of the baby kicking against his hand. Then Daine's lower half slowly started to take on another form. Was it ...cat legs...and was that a tail? _

Daine landed hard on his belly. Numair opened his eyes quickly and yelled. When he realized who had landed on him he sighed and collapsed against the pillows.

"Time to go, Numair."

Cloud seemed to want to sleep just as badly as every one else. The only reply she would give to Daine was _I don't care_ or _Why do I have to go with you?_ Other times she would ignore her mistress completely while trying to see how many other horses she could nip while they walked by.

Daine found her place in line next to Numair and Spots and tried her best to control her pony. Numair was reading, Spots as calm and still as ever. Soon Cloud gave up and Daine could enjoy her time while they waited to start the Progress.

Around noon they stopped for lunch. Numair went and got their food while Daine unsaddled Cloud and Spots. When she lifted Numair's saddle bag from Spots' back she almost dropped it. Numair came up with their lunch.

"What's in here?" Daine asked and took her food from him.

"Books," he said, and she rolled her eyes.

They stopped in an open field for the night. The tents where put up and numbered while Daine unsaddled and cooled down Spots and Cloud. Numair showed her to their tent.

It was larger on the inside than it appeared, even though Numair's head touched the fabric ceiling. Inside there was a small traveling desk and on the floor one bedroll.

Daine looked up at Numair.

"Where's mine?"

He unrolled it and laid on top of the blankets.

"I thought we would share. I only requested one."

Daine gave him a sharp look.

"Go get me one, _now._"

"Why? You sleep with me every other night."

Daine let out a frustrated sigh.

"Look at that thing! It will hardly fit you, much less me. Besides, you snore when you sleep on the ground. You'll be right in my ear."

"You can go if you like, magelet."

"Why can't you?"

He sat up.

"The man in charge of supples doesn't really...like me."

"Why not?"

He sighed.  
"You know who he is..the one I borrow things from sometimes."

Daine snorted.

"You mean the one you steal from? The one that started to hate me when I moved in with you?"

Numair nodded.

Daine kicked him on the knee for the trouble he was causing, then went to get her bedroll.

Daine tried her best to talk to another person in charge of supples, but it was useless.

She came up to the older man that hated Numair so much.

"Um, you see, Numair requested our things and he accidentally only asked for one bedroll. Can we have another one?"

He gave her a irritated look.

"I'm sorry _Mistress Sarrasri, _what he requested is what you receive. We have no extras."

"What about those?" Daine asked and pointed to the stacks of bedrolls behind him.

"There will be people joining us along the way. Those are for them. If you will excuse me," he started to turn, but Daine grabbed his arm.

"I realize other people are coming, but can't I please use one? Just for a while?"

The man shook his head.

"I have strict orders given to me by His Majesty Himself."

"About what?" Daine sighed in relief when she turned and saw Thayet behind her.

"Your Majesty," the man said and gave a graceful bow.

"How are you doing this evening?"

"Just fine, thank you. What is it, Daine?"

"Well, you see silly Numair only requested one bedroll, but I want my own. And he says that I can't have one because they're being saved for other people."

The queen nodded.

"I see. Well certainly it is alright for her to use one, you seem to have plenty and not that many people will be joining us."

Knowing an order when he heard one, the man gave Daine her bedroll.

"Thank you," she told him; and when she was sure he was gone said the same to Thayet.

When Daine came back to her tent Numair was napping. She rolled out her bedroll a good space from his and sat down.

She reached over to get her pack, but decided to look through Numair's books first.

She dragged his bag towards her and set it down. She then undid the buckles and pulled out a few books.

_The Basic Magical Theory, How The Gift Affects Us, A Collection of Mythology..._

Daine stopped at an untitled book and set down the others. She opened it to the first page.

_Numair Salmalin _

And underthat Daine saw one of Numair's favorite quotes:

_Magic affects us all; no matter how large or how small _

She opened it and saw that each page was marked as a day, and on each day something was written. She found the current day and read it.

_March 2nd _

_Today we should reach our first stop, Irontown. We are scheduled to leave the next morning.(Unless we are stopped for some odd reason, expectantly since a majority of the herd has never set foot outside the castle walls.) Check with Jon to see if we are still scheduled to be in Blue Harbor on the 7th. _

Daine went over the next few pages to the 7th so she could see what was so important.

_March 7th _

_Today should be are first full day in Blue Harbor; but more importantly, it is Daine's 23rd birthday. There is word of a fair; if so take her and buy her what ever she likes. Have a dinner with her and our friends somewhere (a doc, or even the beach would be perfect) and give her her present. _

_Sneak away from the herd tonight and find a nice place under the stars and celebrate her birthday are own way..._

"What are you doing, magelet?"

Daine jumped.

"Nothing," she said quickly and set his book with the others. He eyed her carefully for a minute, then sighed stretched.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About a half an hour, I think."

He nodded and sat up.

"Well I'm going to go and ask the king a question, then I'll meet youat dinner, alright?"

"What are you going to ask?"

Numair shrugged.

"Just something that's been on my mind, magelet."

Daine and Numair went to their tent after dinner and noticed a few things had been added to their small space while they were gone; a washbowl, a small stack of towels, soap, and a water pitcher. They both went to take a bath in the stream (everyone else would wait until the morning to take a bath so they wouldn't attract the attention of wild animals and not be able to see them; Daine, on the other hand, didn't have to worry about this). When they got back most tents were dark and the guards were making there first patrols of the night. They ducked inside their tent and blew out all the candles but one.

While Daine was washing her teeth Numair pulled her bedroll next to his, then got under his own blankets and went to sleep.

Daine scooted her bedroll a little bit away again, blew out the candle, and snuggled under her own blankets. It had been a long time since she had no one to curl up to and now she missed Numair's warmth more than she thought she would. She quickly pulled her bedroll beside his and laid her head on his shoulder. She was asleep in a matter of moments.


	3. Chapter 3

_So very sorry for all the mistakes I know I'm going to make...My computer with all my stories AND my OpenOffice writer is still taken over by an evil attack virus...I have no MS Word and have tried downloading OpenOffice but somethings wrong with either my connection or theirs..so PLEASE bear with me! I can't spell AT all! Other than that hope you enjoy! _

_(By the way... In the acual books I never saw them say 'three-thirty' or 'six-fifteen'...so when they say three-after-noon it's 3:00pm and one-after dusk is 7:00pm -four-after-midnight 4:00am ect.)_

Numair woke up early that morning. He quietly got dressed, then went to sit beside Daine. He gently pushed her hair out of her eyes and softly kissed her forehead.

"Morning, magelet," he wispered.

She groaned and turned away. Numair smiled to himself. He went to his bags and pulled out a small box (Daine had never snooped for presents before, but he never knew if she might start) and went outside.

The large fire that had been burning last night was just ashes and embers now. Numair took a seat in front of a large log by Alanna.

"Good morning," he said.

She looked up at him. "Why are you so happy?"

"It's Daine's birthday and this year I got her the one present that she is sure to love."

Before she could ask he pulled the small box out of his shirt pocket and opened it. She nodded her approval.

He put it back in his pocket and took a wooden plate off the stack being passed around.

"Where's George this morning?" he asked as he passed her the basket of rolls.

"I have no idea. He left early this morning and I haven't seen him since. He told me where he was going, but I was more concentrated on sleeping. Why?"

"I was planning to have a dinner for Daine tonight and just wanted to know...," he saw Daine coming out of their tent and, finding him as soon as she looked, start to walk over.

"Never mind," he said, nodding to Daine, "I'll ask later."

The Wildmage came and took a seat by Numair; he kissed her cheek.

"Morning," she said quietly to both of them.

Spying the look Numair was giving her, Alanna got to her feet.

"Well, I should go find my husband. Goddess knows what he's doing."

Once they were alone Numair gently kissed Daine's lips.

"Did you sleep well, magelet?"

She ignored his small talk. "I remember," she told him with a proud smile. His dropped.

"Remember what, sweet?"

"Today's my birthday."

He swore very quietly under his breath. He wanted to suprise her!

"And I saw that dress you got me. I was never one for green, but you picked a very nice shade. It remindes me of late summer leaves. Am I supposed to be wearing it?"

He sighed dramatically. "No. It's for tonight."

She smiled again. "What's tonight?"

"Your birthday," he said, eyes full of innocence.

"Mmmhum...I'll find out, you know."

He gave her another kiss, this one longer and with more passion, ignoring the lookes they were receiving in return.

He pulled away gently. "Happy birthday, magelet," he wispered, hoping that had done the trick.

"Nice try, sweet. But I wouldn't forget even if you took me to the tent and tried your very hardest to distract me."

He glanced at their tent, but she shook her head.

"It will be better if we wait until tonight," she told him, and he sighed.

Daine couldn't help but squeeze Numair's hand a little tighter when she saw the town. It was and old, seaworn place with shops and inns that lined the boardwalk beside the sandy shore. A blue-green sea lapped the shore lazily. At the point they where at now she could see all of the small town and the meadow to the left of it, which three- or four-dozen carts and small tents had been set up. They followed the crowds into the Blue Harbor Fair.

It was a small fair in comparision to the ones she had been to before in Corus, but it was different; more laid back and open. The warm sea air blew the calls of the merchants and smells of the food and sweet-smelling wine to their noses.

"See anything that you like?" he asked in her ear.

"I don't know..." she said looking around.

Daine's eye cought on the cart they were passing. All its shelves were lined with boots in any color she could imagine. The young man behind the booth saw her looking.

"Good day, Milady. Can I interest you in a new pair of boots?"

Daine stopped and pulled Numair to her side. She loked up at him eagerly.

"Do you want to look?" he asked, and she nodded.

The young man smiled at the prospect of wealthy costomers. "You look like a lady who might need a new pair of boots for riding. Maybe brown? Or dark green, even?"

Daine looked over the boots. She saw a dark-brown leather pair on the top shelf that looked very nice, like a pair she would find at home.

"I like those," she said and pointed them out.

"Ahhhh," the merchant smiled. "Those are a very nice pair! If you wouldn't mind stepping behind here so I can measure your foot." He showed her a stool behind the booth.

She looked up at Numair, who nodded for her to go on. She came around the cart and sat down. The man took a seat across from her.

"Do I pay now or later?" Numair asked.

"Now, if you don't mind, Milord."

Numair sighed and gave the man his asking price. He leaned down and gave Daine a kiss on the cheek.

"Now if you don't mind I'm going to get myself some lunch. You stay here. Would you like something?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine, Numair."

He nodded and walked away, but not before reminding her to stay put.

"Your husband?" the merchant asked.

"Ummm...no."

He nodded. "Your lover," he said quietly.

"Well...yes. But we might as well be married. We act like it."

He smiled a mischevious smile and wrote down her measurements.

"You remind me of a friend of mine."

"Me? A poor boot merchant with but a few silvers to his name?"

She laughed. "You act like him. Have you ever met the Baron of Pirate's Swoop? George Copper?"

He shook his head. "Can't say I have."

"I'll send him down here when I see him," she said as she watched him put the first few stiches in the sole of her new boot.

"Are you getting these for a special occasion?" he asked while he worked.

"My birthday," she said shyly.

"Really? You couldn't be a year over..nineteen?"

She laughed again. "I wish so. I'm twenty-three. But not until one-after dusk."

"Really? I'm twenty-four, as of two months and...three weeks ago."

"Then late happy birthday," she said with a smile. She watched him while he worked, his hands stiching quicker and quicker. She saw a silver band on his fourth left finger.

"Are you married?"

He stopped to look at his ring. "Unfortunatly," he said with a sly smile.

"Is your wife here?"

"I keep her locked in the back," he said, then his sly smile grew larger. "She has the booth across the way. See her? The blonde."

Daine looked across the crowded walkway. There was a pretty blonde behind the booth trying to sell a man a small bottle of blue potion. She looked much younger than twenty-four, like more of a older girl than young lady. Seeing the curious look on her face the man smiled.

"She's seventeen. Was in a bad home when I found her and I couldn't help but take her in. She's great at potions, I personally think she puts one in my drink every night." He smiled. "But I love her more than anything, even if she does make more money than me."

Daine smiled. Seven years in age diffrence wasn't as bad as fourteen.

"Age is just a number," she said quietly. He smiled again and gave her her new pair of boots.

"You're absolutly right. Happy birthday."

Daine slipped her dress over her head. Numair was at her back almost instantly, doing up the buttons.

"When do I get my present?" she asked.

"What do you think the dress and boots were?"

"I know you. Those were just a warm-up, a first course. I have a much bigger present coming later."

She turned to look at him. "Or much smaller and more expensive."

He only shrugged.

Her birthday dinner was just as wonderful as she could have imagined, with more presents than she deserved and a very large cake. Afterwards Numair took her to a large meadow. He spead out a blanket and took off her dress and let her enjoy her birthday in a diffrent way.

"Shooting star," she said quietly. He looked up and watched it fall. "Make a wish."

"I already have my wish." He kissed her hand gently. "It's your birthday anyways."

She smiled and traced the lines on his arm. "I'll save it for later."

He rolled on his side and looked in her face. "Marry me," he wispered, and pulled a small box from no where. Daine sighed and opened the box. Inside was a very pretty necklace, a four pointed star with a large pearl in the middle and dimonds all around it.

"Its beautiful. What about a ring?"

He shrugged. "Will you?"

"Not now. Give me a few more years."

He sighed and kissed her lips gently.

"Oh well. I tried."

She smiled and gave him another long kiss.

_OK I know I know...Eagle! Why only 3 chapters? Well because I would rather have 3 interesting chapters than 3 more boring ones...plus I have a VERY nice story coming up..._


	4. Chapter 4

_Eagle has heard your pleading cry! So one more chapter for Progress!_

"What would you like to do today?" Numair asked, and Daine shrugged.

He sighed. Of course his only one true love wouldn't be a morning person, either.

"We could go into the city when the king makes his rounds. I hear Greentree has a lot of nice bookstores."

Daine gave Numair a look in the mirror. She rinsed out her mouth and put her teeth-cleaning things away.

"Or we could...stay in the tent? Oh. Um, alright. We could...um...go for a ride?"

Daine's expresion changed completely.

"Really?"

Numair bit his lip. It was the last thing _he_ wanted to do, but he _had_ been dragging Daine into every book store in sight the last few weeks..

"If that's what you really want to do, magelet."

She danced over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Say it again," she whispered.

"Magelet, will you come on a ride with me," he re-qouted.

She giggled. "Again."

"Magelet, will you come on a ride with me?"

"One more time."

"Daine.." he started, but she coved his mouth.

"Remember our deal? I stay happy at day...you stay happy at night..."

He sighed and swepped her off her feet and into his arms.

"My darling, georgous magelet. Will you do me so great a honor as to accompany me on a ride this beautiful late-summer afternoon?"

She giggled again and kissed his cheek.

"You will be a _very_ happy man tonight."

They started their ride not long after. Daine made sure they packed a lunch so Numair would have no excuse to go back early. The late summer air was wonderful in North-east Tortall. They were staying in a valley surrounded by foothillls and thick, shady forests. The air was warm and the breezes cool, making this afternoon even more wonderful. Daine led where the path through the forests were thin and when they where wide enough for two horses they would ride side by side, hand in hand. They didn't talk very much; but it was a comfortable silence. They enjoyed just being with each other.

Numair looked up at the sun.

"It's about one-afternoon. Would you like to eat?"

Daine nodded at stood up in her stirrups to have a better view.

"I think there's a clearing up ahead."

They came around the turn in the rocks and stopped. The clearing was beautiful. On the farthest side was a clear pool with a small waterfall rushing into it. Green grass surrounded the pool; in some places it was short, eaten away by animals, in other's it was as tall as Numair's hip.

"Wonderful job, magelet," Numair said quietly.

He got out of the saddle and handed Spots over to Daine, then set out their lunch while she untacked the horses.

That done, Daine came and sat down with him in the tall grass. They ate in their comfortable silence again, until Numair remembered something.

"Do you know what today is, magelet?"

She thought for a minute.

"August the 5th?"

"Well, yes. But something else."

"Is it one of our strange anniversaries?"

Numair chuckled. "Do you know which one?"

"August the 5th..August the...5th...Oh! Our frist kiss right?"

Numair smiled wider. "Yes."

Daine laid back in the grass with him.

"Seven years," she whispered.

He look over at her. When their eyes met Daine felt a warm chill run through her body. He leaned a little closer, putting his magicless spell on her. Her breath came short in her lungs now; just like it had seven years ago.

_I swear, Cloud, if you make one comment I will **kill** you!_ Cloud gave no reply, but she knew she had heard.

Numair cupped her cheek and gently kissed her lips. He let his fingers trace up her side, her tunic coming with it. They pulled away when he took it over her head, and Daine pushed him down in the grass. She wanted to undress him a quikly as possible, but she made herself have control. Slow and playful was what he liked. Slow and playful. She took off his tunic. Then he pushed _her_ down in the grass, and slowly started to undo the buttons of her shirt. Once her shirt was off they sat up. She undid the laces at the top of his shirt and then undid them all. The warm chill was now and loud ache in every part of her body. Then he took off her breast band and kissed her chest gently. She lost it then, and let him slowly ease her back into the grass.

Numair rolled off of her with a grunt. They laid there for a long moment, trying to get their heavy breathing under control. Daine didn't know how long they laid in the tall, green grass; but he startled her out of a foggy sleep when he streched.

"We should go back. You know how the herd gets." He rolled his eyes.

She smiled and they helped each other get dressed.

Daine thought over the afternoon as they rode back.

"You planned that, didn't you?"

Numair, startled from his own thoughts, looked up in suprise.

"You planned us doing that in that clearing today! For our anniversary!"

Numair laughed.

"Magelet, I had no intention of that happening. I was going to wait until tonight to...well, never mind."

"What?"

He sighed.

"I was going to rent us a suite in the inn tonight."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Why can't we still?"

He looked at her.

"Well I thought after this afternoon you wouldn't want to. It was going to be a suprise, anyway."

"But I want to! And don't worry, I'll act suprised."

Numair rolled his eyes.

"I really wasn't planning for that to happen this afternoon. Besides," he lifted his chin, "spurts of greatness can't be planned."

Daine kicked him in the leg.

Once they got back Numair went to reserve the room. Daine settled on packing their things. She also decided someone should know where they were tonight.

"Alanna," Daine called through the tent wall. "Can I come in?"

Alanna's squire, Neal, was at the tent flap at once, holding it open for her.

"How are you today, Daine?"

She knew he had liked her when he was younger; and now his old habits were dying hard.

"Great," she said, and came into the main tent. Alanna was at a small desk and George was standing near, leaning against the support beam. She was greeted by them both and they talked for a little while.

"Did you want something, Daine?" Alanna asked once they had finished their conversation.

"Well, acually, I wanted to let someone know me and Numair wouldn't be here tonight. He's renting us a room at the inn for one of his strange anniversirys." Daine rolled her eyes.

"Really," Alanna asked, and looked out of the corner of her eye at George. He ducked his head at stood strait.

"Come on, boy. I want to show you somethin'," he said and Neal followed his quik pace out of the room. Daine decided there was a story behind that she would hear later.

"Well," Alanna sat up, "I'll tell everyone that you and Numair rented a room for your anniversiry."

"No! Don't tell them that!" Daine exclaimed, and Alanna chuckled.

"I'm joking. No one will even know your gone tonight."

Daine streched and moved to lay on Numair's chest. He put his arms thight around her and took a deep breath of her hair.

"You smell great," he whispered.

"Um...thanks?"

"It's a compliment," he assurded her. "Only two weeks until we start to go home."

"Mmmm..our own bed."

"Our own _bath_."

"Our own chairs,"

"Our own _chamberpot_."

Daine laughed and kissed him gently.

"We might as well be married, we act like it." She traced lines on his chest. "And fight like it."

He smiled and played with her hair. "But when we fight we make up. And we do a very good job, too."

He cupped her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes.

"Marry me, please."

She sighed and kissed him again.

"I promise you that I will say yes to marrying you by our...tenth anniversary."

"Ninth," he said stubbornly.

She sighed. "Ninth, then."

"Do you swear?"

She kissed him again, putting all of her passion into it.

"I swear."


End file.
